Electron discharge device



Se t. 5, 1933. M. MORRISON ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed May 2, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 5, 1933.

Filed May 2, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,925,105 ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICE Montford Morrison, Chicago, Ill. Application May 2, 1930. Serial No. 449,216

This application is,

9 Claims.

in part, a part of application Serial Number 421,790 filed January 18, 1930. This invention relates to the class of structures employing unilateral conductivity, and may be 5 embodied in any of the general class of electron devices, and has particular relation to communication tubes,

carrier wave including rectifiers, detectors, amplifiers, and various other kindred and related devices.

Among the objects of this invention are; to provide means for causing alternating currents to function in electron discharge circuits in response to their amplitudes, an.

to provide an electron 17 means for controlling the d to their amplitudes only; discharge device with plate current by deflection of the electron stream in addition to control by quantitative variation thereof; to provide an improved rectifier or detector suitable for carrier current communication circuits which will pro- :0 duce a rectified or detected current curve in true relation to the modulation envelope, and various other objects obvious to which this invention to those skilled in the art appertains, upon studying the specification and the claims hereof.

In the prior art electron discharge devices employing cathodes, anodes, and control grids have the flow of electrons from structure has characteristics been constructed with cathode and anode, that the grid so related to the it merely numerically subtracts from or adds to the field intensity between the two electrodes in a with the field present in the In such a structure grid is limited to a me trol action to very sim devices.

In the present inve direction coincident absence of the grid. the action of the control re numerical opposition to the cathodes. This which limit the conple and narrowly confined ntion there is provided a class of control grids adapted to not only control the anode current by in addition thereto by numerical opposition, but vector relation, making it possible for the control grid to perform functions not heretofore performed directly by multiple electrode electron discharge devices; and further, allows almost a limitless combination of relations connecting the grid voltage with the anode current.

The applicant is aware that electron discharge tubes have been made deflecting electrodes,

in the prior art utilizing but these deflecting electrodes have been for use in connection with oscillographic work, and in tion with point-by-poi oscillographs, but this ferent from the inven The nature of this invention is such that dephased alternating currents are applied to the grid in a manner to control the anode current as a result of the action of the de-phased currents, vectorially.

In copending application Serial Number 445,593 filed April 19, 1930, treating any number of poly phased fields, and specifically electric fields in the present case, having sinusoidal variation and dephasing of an angular value, bearing a ce tain relation to the vector-direction of the fields and to their total number, it has been shown that revolving fields, with a constant amplitude bearing a straight line relation to the amplitudes of the sinusoids representing the said fields, are produced.

By the use of polyphased fields including quarter phase fields for the excitation of the grids used in the present invention, the control of the anode current by the grid potentials is made to obey other laws beside the instantaneous variations of the applied fields of the tubes of the prior art.

Specifically, one of the principal novelties of this invention is the adaptation to the grids thereof of polyphase revolving fields, which have a control potential with reference to the filament, pro portional to the maximum amplitude of the applied varying alternating potentials, adapting the invention as a demodulator or as a detector tube.

Other and further scopes and objects of the invention will appear during the progress of reading the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 illustrates partly in elevation, and partly in section, an electron discharge device utilizing revolving vector-fields as employed in the embodiment herein described, Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive represent collectively an exploded view of certain details of construction employed in the specific embodiment shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic circuit using certain conventionalities to illustrate the utilization of the device shown in Fig. 1 as a carrier wave communication reception apparatus, and Fig. 7 is a modulated alternating current wave included for reference in connection with the description of the operation of the set-up illustrated in Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 is a hermetically sealed envelope of a conventional form, having a re- 1 entrant stem 2, and a press 3 containing lead-in wires 4, 5, 6, '7, 8, 9, and 10.

Upon the stem 2 is mounted a clamp 11 fixed to the stem 2, clamping it to insulating members 12 and 13, into which are fivnrl MA" H which are utilized in supporting the superstructure hereinafter described.

The present embodiment employs four separate grids mounted on four semicircular ring segments 16, 17, 18, and 19, Fig. 1; and shown in exploded views 2 and 3.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, semicircular segments 16, 17, 18, and 19 are provided in the drawings for purposes of teaching the invention, with a plurality of pins 20 and 21 forming grids hereinafter described.

In practice these pins are in reality rolled into a rectangular section, but this construction detail is dispensed with in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 for clearness; although in the diagram 6, the grid is illustrated as having rectangular cross-sections, which will be described in connection with that figure.

The plurality of pins illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 are arranged in such an order, that the pins shown in 2 and 3 can be intermeshed as illustrated in Fig. 1, and at the same time retain their separated and insulated character. The slots 22 and 23, Figs. 2 and 3, are fixed at right angles when the grids are meshed, so that the intermeshed grids will be arranged and connected as illustrated in the diagram Fig. 6.

The lines 16, 1'7, 18, and 19, being diagrammatic representations of the 16, 17, 18, and 19, Figs. 1 and 2. The grid proper being illustrated by the rectangular pins 20 and 21, being the same group of pins as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 with a round section, this difference being already explained.

Referring to Fig. 5, 24 is a hollow cylindrical anode, having a group of ears such as 25 welded to its outer surface, and bent in such a manner as to secure the said anode to a cylindrical ring of insulating material 26, which is set into insulating pillars 27, 28, 29, and 30, thus forming a unit complete as illustrated in Fig. 5 with all parts fixed with reference to each other.

Anode 24 is located around the grid pins 26 and 21 as illustrated in Fig. 1. The reference numerals used in Fig. 5 represent identical parts bearing identical numerals in Figs. 2 to 6 inelusive.

Anode 24 is also shown in Fig. 6 in its diagrammatic position. 4

In Fig. 4, 31 is a filament, 32 and 33 are'supports welded thereto, all of which is shown in its proper location in Figs. 1 and 6 by the proper numerals. Referring to Fig. 1, rods 14 and 15 have insulating sleeves 34 and 35 slipped upon them, onto which is a clamp 36 for holding the filament support 33. Rods 14 and 15 are fixed into semicircular segments 18 and 19, forming electrical connection therewith by means of leads 4 and 10, which are welded thereto.

In the semicircular grid segments 16 and 17 are fixed rods 37 and 38, onto which are fixed insulating sleeves 39 and 40, having a clamp 41 to hold the filament support 32. Lead-in wire 5 is welded to support 32 as shown, lead-in wire '7 being connected to filament support 33 through clamp 36. Lead-in wire 8 is welded to anode 24. Lead 6 is welded to semicircular segment 16, and lead 9 is welded to semicircular segment 17. The corresponding leads of Fig. 6 bear the same numerals as those described for Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 6, 41 is the station terminal equipment, its character and design depending upon whether the embodiment of the invention refers to radio communication reception, carrierwave wire transmission reception, or some other applicable embodiment such as likeness transmission reception. The scope of the invention includes any form of intelligence transmission irrespective of its specific character; but in the diagram, 41 1s illustrated as a radio station terminal equipment for the reception of audible intelligence signals.

41 may be any suitable circuit, which will selectively receive the modulated carrier wave illustrated in Fig. '7, without destroying the essential characteristics thereof, necessary to the proper functioning of the embodiment of this invention. The modulated carrier wave shown in Fig. '7 maybe delivered directly to a second unit 42, or it may be heterodyned, since it is immaterial to this invention whether the original modulated carrier wave is utilized, or a modulation of a different frequency, such as that produced by heterodyning, and equivalent processes as will be obvious upon reading the description hereinafter: 42 is an additional stage if and when desired for amplifying or changing the characteristics of the received wave in some or any manner not detrimental to the proper functioning of this invention.

The output terminals of 42 are connected to a phase-splitter 43. The phase-splitter 43 is illustrated diagrammatically in the simplest possible form for the purpose of teaching of the use of this invention, and the circuits therein are not given to represent the best operating form thereof.

44 is the primary of a transformer connected to the output terminals of 42 through a capacitor 45, 46 is a primary of a different transformer connected through reactor 4'? to the output terminals of 42. This comprises a simple divided circuit, splitting the carrier frequency received from 42, or a heterodyned frequency thereof, into quarter phase alternating current, the amplitude of each phase being substantially equal, and 90 degrees phase difference between the two phases.

The general effect of phase-splitters upon'frequencies having not single isolated values but bands of values will be more fully discussed in the description of the operation of the device, hereinafter given.

48 is a secondary of transformer 44, and 49 is a secondary of transformer 46. The mid-points of these secondaries are connected together by lead 50, which is connected through an adjustable biassing potential 51, which is subject to use if and when desired. Lead 50 is further brought over to an adjustable potentiometer 52, connected to battery 53, which supplies filament 31 with heating current. Lead 8 is connected to an anode battery 54, which in turn is connected through a reception circuit translating device illustrated as headphones 55, and thus to potentiometer 52, completing the circuit in a general conventional manner.

In some cases it will not be practical to allow the primaries and secondaries of phase-splitter 43 to work without shunts, as incidental loading in the circuits requires a stabilizing loading by shunted resistors across the primaries, and the secondaries of the transformer contained therein to stabilize the phase relations thereof, and in the diagram a means of stabilization has been illustrated conventionally by the resistors 56 and 57.

In the operation of the device, a communication of some form of intelligence is received at the station terminal 41. The form of this communication may have that shown in Fig. '7, which is illustrated as a single audio frequency harmonic, represented by the dotted envelope, modulated upon a carrier frequency.

. effective carrier wave form Such a modulated wave form has upon analysis two frequencies in addition to the carrier frequency for each modulation harmonic present, producing the side bands well known to those skilled in the art. However, filter circuits and related apparatus, if properly designed, can be made to react upon a modulated carrier wave having side-bands, for practical purposes in such a way as to pass the modulated carrier wave as though there were only one harmonic present of magnitude of the order of the carrier frequency.

This invention is not limited to the utilization of both side-bands, and may use one or both with or without the carrier wave, as is understood by trigonometric analysis of the modulated wave.

The wave form illustrated in Fig. 7 may be heterodyned, if and when desired, at unit 42, and delivered in one form or other to phase-splitter 43. The function of phase-splitter 43 is to treat the received modulated wave, in such a manner as to divide it into two modulated waves, having the effective super-audio frequency components thereof degrees out of phase electrically, or such that one of the said super-audio frequency waves reaches the eifective maximum at the same time that the other reaches an effective zero point and vice versa.

While in this embodiment there has been illustrated a wave split into two components, this invention is not limited thereto, but may be split into any number of components, provided they come within the scope of the claims, as will be more fully apparent in the description of the operation of the thermionic discharge device proper hereinunder.

In Fig. 6 the phase-splitter is illustrated in its simplest electrical form for the purpose of teaching the invention, and not as a device of practical dimensions, nor in preferred form.

The two split modulated wave forms delivered from 43 are both substantially similar to Fig. 7, having the same concurrent envelope but with the zeros and maxima of the carrier wave shifted as above described. One split wave is delivered from secondary 48, and the other from secondary 49, to the grids of the electron discharge device hereinafter described.

The resistors 56 and 57 are merely illustrated as practical additions sometimes necessary for the stabilization of the split wave-forms under operation in connection with the electron discharge device.

The wave form delivered from 48 is connected to grids 16 and 17, which produces at the center of the grids, and at the space occupied by the filament 31, an electric field at right angles to the circumferential ends of the grid segments, identified by slot 22, Fig. 2.

The Wave form delivered by secondary 49 is delivered to the grids 18 and 19, which produces an electric field at right angles to the direction of their circumferential ends illustrated by slot 23, Fig. 2. The slots being at right angles, the electric fields produced by the two grids are also at right angles. The electric fields produced by the two grids are then at right angles and individually proportional to the instantaneous value of the exciting potentials. The resultant electric field produced by the two grids is the vector sum thereof, being the square root of the sum of the squares of the two instantaneous intensities of the said fields.

If one of the split wave-forms is assigned an represented by a sine wave, having an amplitude proportional to the with an amplitude equal to it.

instantaneous value of the modulation envelope, the other split wave form will have an effective carrier wave proportional to a sine wave 90 degrees out of phase with the first said carrier wave, but The sine wave having its phase position 90 degrees different from the other wave may be treated as a cosine wave with respect to the first mentioned wave, so that the vector sum of the two said waves in the discharge device is equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of the sines and cosines of the angles. This being numerically equal to 1 leaves the vector sum of the two fields with reference to the cathode of the device, proportional to the amplitude of the modulated wave, and to the amplitude only, so that the combined efi'ects of the four grids in the described electron discharge device act upon the filament current proportional to the amplitudes only of the modulated wave form, producing current in the plate circuits of the device, and in the reception translating device 55, proportional to the envelope of the carrier wave, or, in other words, the modulation wave is produced directly in the plate circuit by application of the modulated alternating current to the grids.

It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the quantitive output of the device described in Fig. 6 is necessarily greater than the electrical input thereof; and consequently, the described device may act as an amplifier as well as a detector or demodulator.

Various designs of grids with different spacings and difierent wire may be resorted to, to produce the effect herein described. Also other and different embodiments may be designed to produce the same result, and in some cases more effectively, some of which will be more fully disclosed in further applications for Letters Patent.

Having fully described one embodiment of this invention, the following are the claims thereof:

I claim:

1. An electron discharge device to be fed by all I lobes of a polyphased alternating current source comprising a cathode, an anode cooperating with said cathode, and a plurality of separate grids mounted between said cathode and anode whereby said grids present an effectively continuous control electrode structure to said cathode.

2. An electron discharge device to be fed by all lobes of a polyphased alternating current source and comprising a cathode, an anode cooperating with said cathode, and an even number of separate grids to which said currents are applied mounted between said anode and cathode, whereby said grids present an effectively continuous control electrode structure to said cathode.

3. An electron discharge device to be fed by all lobes of a polyphased alternating current source comprising an anode, a cooperating cathode, and an even number of intermeshed grids mounted between said anode and cathode whereby the anode current varies only in response to amplitude variations in the alternating current.

4. In an electron device, an evacuated envelope containing a cathode, an anode entirely surrounding said cathode, two pairs of semi-circular control electrodes between said anode and cathode, each electrode consisting of alternate openings and bars, one pair arranged opposite one another and forming a circle around said cathode, and the other pair arranged opposite one another around said one pair angularly displaced with respect thereto and disposed with their bars through the openings in the inner pair so that the 15C bars of the two pairs of electrodes present an dlectively continuous surface to the cathode.

5. In an electron device, an evacuated envelope containing a cathode, an anode surrounding said cathode, two pairs of control electrodes between said cathode and anode, each control electrode having areas of differing activity with respect to the electronic stream flowing between said cathode and anode, one pair of control electrodes mounted opposite one another with the cathode between, and the other pair mounted opposite one another with the areas of relatively greater activity in one pair substantially in alignment with the areas of relatively lesser activity in the other pair, the two pairs of electrodes presenting a surfaceof substantially uniform activity to the cathode.

6. Inan electron device, an evacuated envelope Y containing a cathode, an anode entirely surrounding said cathode, two pairs of segmental control electrodes between said anode and cathode, each electrode consisting of alternate openings and solid portions, one pair arranged opposite one another and surrounding said cathode, and the other pair arranged opposite one another around said one pair angularly displaced with respect thereto and disposed with their solid portions through the openings in the inner pair so that the solid portions of the two pairs of electrodes present'an eifectively continuous surface to the cathode.

'7. In an electron device, an evacuated envelope containing a cathode, an anode surrounding said cathode, two pairs of control electrodes between said cathode and anode, each control electrode having openings and solid portions, one pair mounted opposite one another with the cathode between, and the other pair mounted opposite one another with the solid portions in one pair substantially in alignment with the openings in the other pair presenting an effectively continuous surface to the cathode.

8. In an electron device, an evacuated envelope containing a cathode, an anode entirely surrounding said cathode, two pairs of segmental circular control electrodes between said anode and said cathode, each of said electrodes consisting of alternate openings and bars, one pair arranged opposite one another and forming circular arcs about said cathode; and the other pair arranged opposite one another, angularly displaced with respect to first said pair, and disposed with the bars thereof through the openings in the first said pair so that the bars of the two pairs of electrodes present an effectively unbroken grid structure to the said cathode.

9. An electron discharge device to be fed by all lobes of a polyphased alternating current circuit. and comprising an evacuated envelope containing a cathode, an anode entirely surrounding said cathode, two pairs of segmental circular grids between said cathode and said anode, each having alternate openings and bars formed therein, one pair arranged opposite one another and forming circular arcs around said cathode and the other pair arranged opposite one another, displaced angularly with respect to the first said pair, and disposed with the bars thereof through the openings of the two pairs of grids, presenting an overlapping grid structure to the said cathode.

MONTFORD MORRISON. 

